Many of us are planning summer vacations. I often hear stories from patients who had their vacations ruined from diarrhea or other illnesses, which is why it’s important for globe trotters to pack a first-aid kit. Every kit should have the basics, most of which are over the counter (OTC), although a couple are prescription-only. Here are my choices:
Diarrhea medicines
The number one cause of a ruined vacation is being stuck on a toilet for days with diarrhea. My favorite OTC medicine for this is loperamide (immodium), which is generally effective after age 2 to slow down watery, non-bloody diarrhea. It doesn’t cure the infection but it does cut down the frequency of bathroom visits, which can be a godsend if you are on a long plane or bus ride. Other OTC medicines that can help you recover more quickly include the charcoal powder Smecta as well as probiotic pills like Medilac. Both are available for infants and toddlers.
In southern Asia, diarrhea is often caused by bacterial infections, so you should consider carrying antibiotics on your trip. Many doctors now prescribe azithromycin to travelers. Resist the temptation to buy antibiotics from local pharmacies during your trip. It is illegal and provided instructions are often incorrect.
Pain and fever medicines
It’s common to get a headache or pain during vacations. To help with this, you should bring both child and adult pain medications. Tylenol (paracetamol) and Motrin (ibuprofen) are the two most common OTC medicines. I prefer ibuprofen due to its anti-inflammatory properties, although it can cause stomach problems. Most children’s syrups come in sizes under 100ml and are thus good for carry-on luggage.
Prescription medicines
If you take daily medicines for chronic diseases, don’t forget to bring enough to cover your trip – and maybe a bit more in case an elephant tramples on them. Also, keep a detailed list of your medicinessomewhere safe, in case you lose your luggage and need to buy more.
Other things to include
Small bottles of alcohol hand sanitizer, bandaids, an antibiotic ointment, chewable antacid pills to cure heartburn, anti-itch cream such as hydrocortisone, and good anti-mosquito spray. DEET 10-30 percent and picaridin 5-10 percent are by far the most effective anti-mosquito sprays and are considered safe for children over 2 months old by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Don’t forget
You may need special vaccines or other prescription medicines, dependingon where you travel. Many Southeast Asian countries have malaria, so you may need to take prescription anti-malaria pills both during and after your trip. If you go to Tibet you may want to bring medicine to prevent altitude sickness. In all these cases, you’ll need to plan at least one month in advance. This is because you may need to receive a series of vaccines (in the case of rabies and Japanese encephalitis vaccinations), or your local clinic may need a few weeks to order malaria medicines, which frequently run out just before national holidays.
No matter where you travel, I always recommend checking US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel website: www.cdc.gov/travel. They provide detailed information for every country regarding which vaccines you need as well as other health and security concerns.
